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Chelmsford City 4-0 Ramsgate, Saturday 23rd September 2006, Chelmsford Sport & Athletics Centre, Kick-Off 3:00pm, Ryman League Premier Division.
City's first home League win of the season arrived in style against Ramsgate, with Chelmsford finally hitting top gear in front of their own fans. The Clarets enthralled their supporters from the start as young Man-of-the-Match Ricky Holmes showed why Jeff King has kept him in the team up-front by netting early and on the run to set Chelmsford on their way to a morale-boosting victory. Holmes was part of a starting eleven which only saw two changes from the F.A. Cup win at Barking the previous week. Jerrome Sobers could have considered himself unlucky to be replaced by Steve Ward at centre half though the former Canvey Island defender more than did himself justice during the ninety minutes. Elsewhere, there was a place in midfield for new capture Fiston Manuella as a central midfield player wearing the shirt previously donned by Liam Hopkins. Chelmsford got off to a brilliant start when Ricky Holmes chased after a 6th-minute through ball and tapped wide of 'keeper Chris May into the net after shrugging-off the attentions of a shielding defender. This set the tone for the rest of the match as some clever build-up between Holmes and Mario Noto seven minutes later provided Spencer Knight with the chance to shoot left-footed and wide across the face with the attacking half of the team seemingly on-song. However there was still work to do at the other end and Richard McKinney remained focussed on 20 minutes to rush from goal and thwart Shaun Welford low down before later seeing Dean Hill collect the ball in space at the far post and screech an effort back across goal and narrowly wide. But the Clarets were in the mood for goals and doubled their lead with 33 minutes gone. Holmes again sprinted after a long ball and squared to Noto at an angle ten yards out. His low strike at goal took a generous deflection off the leg of Ollie Schulz and past the helpless May to hand the home side a two-goal interval cushion. After the break Stuart Ainsley came to the rescue on 52 minutes to cut-out a dangerous-looking cross though it was business as usual going forward, Tony Battersby later turning a defender before scuffing a simple shot for May to swallow-up. With 68 minutes played Ramsgate took a turn for the worse as City's Noto twisted and turned to stylishly get a cross in for Holmes to head over then, sixty seconds later, substitute Stuart Vahid was ordered from the field just seven minutes after coming on for an over-the-top foul on Knight. An already aroused City attack then had increased reason to go forward and, with twenty minutes left, Noto went close with a low near post effort blocked by May and Ainsley almost netted a stupendous long-range, top-corner stunner until the busy Ramsgate custodian clawed it away for a corner. The visitors' luck ran out, however, eleven minutes from time with Jeff Minton handily placed inside the box to slot home into the bottom left corner after a deflected clearance landed in his path. Then, six minutes from full time, Noto ensured his name definitely got on the score-sheet thanks to a superb free-kick which was struck into the top right with pinpoint accuracy, setting the seal on a fantastic and uplifting City success. City: 1 Richard McKinney 12 Gavin Heeroo (On for Manuella, 75) Ramsgate: Chris May, Edd Vahid, Dean Hill, Will Graham, Ollie Schulz, Lee Minshull, Michael Yianni, Warren Schulz, Shaun Welford, Mo Takalobighashi, Simon Pettit. Subs: Stuart Vahid, James Gregory, Kieran Morris, Shane Suter, Jurgen Wild. Bookings: Ramsgate: O. Schulz (36, foul), W. Schulz (67, foul), E. Vahid (83, dissent). Sent Off: Ramsgate: S. Vahid (69, serious foul play). Referee: Mr Barry Holderness (Ilford). Assistant Referees: Mr Kirk English (Romford) and Mr Lloyd Wood (Dagenham). Attendance: 804. City Man of the Match: Ricky Holmes. |
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By Chris
Evans (Picture by Matt Bradshaw)
